Monday, March 20, 2017

Here's a rules question for the folks out there. I don't typically
post non-technical / non-strategy posts, but the following ruling was
such a freak weird occurrence that I'm not sure I'll ever see something like it
again.

The setup:
A fairly chatty table, filled with a somewhat inebriated reg, who while
acting over the top, is questionably falling on the floor drunk. In other
words, I think he's playing it up a little bit. His act is working
though, as the money is being thrown around quite a bit and raising or calling
with 95o is commonplace. People are getting coolered left and right -- tilt is evident throughout the table. The subject in question is in for a
buy in - perhaps a retired guy - maybe in his mid-60's. He just won a pot
to double him up, and I've been talking about the rule of poker where if you
win a big pot, it's mandatory to play the next hand. The subject is fairly tilted himself, being subject to both poor play and coolers

This guy is on the BTN in this particular hand and it has limped around to
him.He does not look at his cards, but
puts out his $3 call and we see a 6 or 7 handed limp flop of A x x.It checks around to a mid-position bet and
folds to the BTN who looks down to check his hole card(s).It is at this point that he says, “I only
have 1 card!”

“Floor!” says the dealer, realizing the situation immediately.What happens to a player playing only 1
card?I’ve never seen this
situation.Floor rules that pending “significant
action” which constitutes the many calls plus a flop, and action, the hand is
dead on arrival.I’m assuming the ruling
is correct… and it aligns with the rule that a player must show down 2 cards to
win a pot, so the hand is disqualified.It
seems to me that the ruling is only reasonable ruling in that spot – are there
any other ideas of alternates? I'm personally satisfied with the ruling, and the player in question didn't protest at all (although he had an Ace for top pair), but was curious as to different points of view.

6 comments:

Just come back from Tulsa Hollywood casino, 1$-2$ NLH cash game button straddle $5, call, call, call button raise to $45, every one folds, button has only one card and pot is shoved to him. Ruled all other players folded hands and were dead.

The issue is twofold: he just won a sizable pot, so limped in blind. In addition, there was action and we saw a flop. I don't think a refund is in order in this case since he never looked to verify he had two cards.

FWIW, I liked the guy; he was good for the game and a jovial fella. Regardless, he didn't mind not receiving a refund.